


Above The Clouds

by xwingsandlightsabers



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: AU Modern Setting, F/M, First multi chapter, Flight Attendant! Rey, Jess is the flight engineer, Mentions of peril, Pilot! Finn, Pilot! Rose, airline pilot! Poe, airplanes are really safe trust me, hux is the dogsitter, please don't let this ruin flying for you, the odds are 1 in 11million
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-07
Updated: 2020-05-15
Packaged: 2021-02-24 21:54:12
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,980
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22165054
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xwingsandlightsabers/pseuds/xwingsandlightsabers
Summary: Rey is a flight attendant for Yavin Airlines and works on Finn's plane. Poe Dameron, a pilot for the same company, is going on a 13-hour flight for a vacation. Poe and Rey meet and get to know each other. All is going well until, after 8 hours of talking and relaxing, there's an in-flight emergency.
Relationships: Finn/Rose Tico, Poe Dameron/Rey
Comments: 6
Kudos: 33





	1. Dawn of Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Finn finished his brief, the seatbelt light came on and everyone complied. He took one more look at Rey, who sat in the flight attendant seat in front of him before he snuggled into the seat and sighed. If the turbulence didn't kill him, having to fly for 20 hours while trying to not get carried away with his flirting definitely would. He drifted off into a nap as the engines roared and carried the large plane down the runway. He was asleep before they left the ground.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The explicit warning is for chapters 3 and 4.

Poe's feet hit the floor this morning knowing this day would be alright. He'd been flying very long hours for Yavin Airlines, and the manager of the location, Leia Organa, had given him a week-long vacation in New Zealand. He looked at his watch and saw he had about an hour to get ready for his flight. He lived about 15 minutes from the airport, so the commute wouldn't be too awful. He stretched and yawned, hearing his dog barking at the door, asking to be let out.

"Coming, BeeBee, hold on." A few moments later, and orange and white furry blur darted into the room and leaped into his chest. Poe grunted and fell onto his back, scratching the wriggly Corgi behind the ears. He sure as heck knew that today was different when he saw Poe wheel his suitcase into the living room the night before.

"Oh alright. Calm down, pal." He tossed on a shirt and slipped on his slippers, walking to the door. He opened it and walked out onto the porch as BeeBee went to do his business. He looked up at the sky, grinning. The sky was just starting to change over today, stuck in the perfect balance between night and day. There wasn't a single cloud in the wide dark blue expanse, a light breeze fluttering the leaves of the nearby maple tree. Perfect weather for a smooth flight.

Not that he didn't mind bad weather. He could handle anything the wild blue yonder threw at him. He's flown through rain and snow, dodged storms, fought horrible crosswinds and turbulence, and landed in icing conditions. He also had multiple awards under his belt. The Polaris Award was one of them. He got it for landing a fully loaded aircraft on the runway after it was damaged by a downburst. He saved around 300 lives that day, and although he was proud of that, he looked at it humbly.

He noticed that BeeBee was finished with his business, and called him over to him with a whistle when Armitage, his neighbor, arrived to babysit his dog. He bent over and scratched his head again before opening the door to let them in. He shut the door and kicked off his slippers before going to his room to change into his commuting outfit. He got into a pair of jeans and a comfy shirt; he was going to be there for a while. He brushed his curls and grabbed the small things he still needed and went back out t the living room.

"You probably remember where everything is, right?" Armitage already had the food in the bowl and clean water set out. 

"No, I obviously don't." Poe rolled his eyes at the sarcastic remark but grinned all the while. Poe reached into his pocket and grabbed his wallet, opening it to write a check.

"I'll be gone for a week. Just remember his potty times and feeding times and you'll be alright." Poe handed him the check and knelt down to BeeBee. "You behave, alright? Armitage is the designated dog sitter and I'll have to take you flying with me again if he leaves." 

BeeBee licked his face and wagged his stubby little tail. He stood up and laid a hand on Armitage's shoulder, who shrugged away from it.

"It's only for a week, okay? And I don't want another incident between him and Nines, alright?" Armitage sighed and frowned.

"That was one time, Dameron. One. Time." Poe handed him the spare house key.

"It's liable to happen again, though. That's why there are more numbers than one." Armitage groaned in frustration.

"Fine, Dameron. Just get going." Poe grabbed his suitcase and popped the handle on it, wheeling it to the door.

"Oh, and you can use my TV when you want to. I know Ben destroyed yours, so..." He trailed off at Armitage's annoyed expression and opened the door. "Right, alright, I'm leaving."

"Don't die." Poe froze and looked at him with a skeptical expression.

"Flying is safe, man. Honestly, I don't even know why you're so scared of it." He closed the door behind him and headed to his car. The time was 07:38. 22 minutes to get to the airport. "Shit."

He threw his luggage into the back and leaped into his car, driving off immediately after he started it. Man, he wished that Armitage would show up on time.

\----------------------------

He pulled into the parking spot at the airport with a few minutes to spare. He grabbed his luggage and steadily clipped towards the door of the terminal. As he walked through the terminal, he got nods and greetings from staff all over the place. He politely greeted passengers as they waited for their flights and headed for the gate his flight was loading at. He showed his ticket to the young lady working at the gate and laid his bags up to have them scanned. 

"Good morning, Captain Dameron. Where are you headed today?" 

"On my way to spend a week in New Zealand for a vacation." The gate agent rose an eyebrow.

"Enjoy your time, Captain." Poe nodded and walked away.

When he got to the gate, he placed his bags on the conveyer belt that took it out to the ramp workers and got in line to board. He was riding first class on a 747, the very plane he flew for Yavin Airlines on the days he was working. He got outside and looked up at the giant bird. He went up the stairs to the cabin, laying a hand on the side of the plane before he moved forward. He heard her accent before he saw her.

"Enjoy your flight, sir. We'll be around with refreshments in a little while." He peered over the shoulder of the person in front of him to see who was working as the flight attendant. He didn't remember ever hearing the accent before, even with all the times he flew. He caught sight of a young woman, probably fresh out of flight attendant school. Her chestnut hair was shoulder-length, framing warm hazel eyes. Her fair skin was peppered with sprinkles and revealed slender cheekbones. With the red lipstick on, it highlighted her beautiful smile perfectly. 

"Next?" Poe drew himself up and stepped onto the plane, handing the young woman his ticket. Her cheeks went red when she looked at him. 

"Captain Poe Dameron! What a pleasure!" Finn stepped from the cockpit to shake his hand. Poe hugged him instead.

"Good to know there's a fellow flyboy on board! Who's working with you today?"

"Rose Tico as copilot, Jessika Pava as the flight engineer." Poe nodded.

"Pretty good crew up there then. I guess I'll trust you." Finn deadpanned and Poe laughed. "I'm just kidding, pal. You're every bit of a pilot I am. Just don't go vertical during takeoff." Finn rolled his eyes and turned back towards the cockpit. Poe turned towards the young woman again and apologized.

"Sorry about that, miss..."

"Rey. Rey Kenobi." Poe smiled warmly at her and shook her hand.

"Good thing I'm the last man on the plane. I'll see you around, Rey." He gave her a wink and made his way up the stairs to the upper level. He found his seat and put his carry-on into the overhead compartment and sat down, settling down for a long flight. He gazed out the window and took a photo to send to his dad, which he did.

_**On my way, papa.** _

Kes responded soon after with _**have a nice flight, mijo.**_

Poe heard the flight attendant coming up the stairs and he flushed when he realized it was Rey Kenobi. Their eyes locked for a moment and they exchanged glances before Finn started his flight briefing.

"Hello, passengers. This is your captain speaking. If you're hearing this, you're on the flight from New York to New Zealand. If this isn't your flight, we're glad to have you tag along." A couple of chuckles came from the people around Poe as Finn went into the briefing about seatbelts and life vests and oxygen masks. He didn't hear anything because he was too entranced with Rey. 

After Finn finished his brief, the seatbelt light came on and everyone complied. He took one more look at Rey, who sat in the flight attendant seat in front of him before he snuggled into the seat and sighed. If the turbulence didn't kill him, having to fly for 20 hours while trying to not get carried away with his flirting definitely would. He drifted off into a nap as the engines roared and carried the large plane down the runway. He was asleep before they left the ground.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phew, boy. I've been thinking of writing something like this for a while now. I finally got around to do it. This is my first time writing a multi-chapter fic, and I'm so excited to finish it I can't even tell you. This chapter is kinda slow. It's just Poe getting ready for the flight. Nothing too scary. It does, however, include a cute fuzzy boi named BeeBee. Also, “Nines” is BB-9E’s name as a dog.
> 
> Also, I don't know when I'll be able to update it. I have to go back to college in a week and I'm writing another fic with someone. I'll try, honestly.


	2. 35,000 Feet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Poe wakes up a couple of hours later. Rey is taking a break, and she takes the time to get to know the handsome man in the front row.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Glad to finally post this chapter! I've been meaning to for a while but I'm just now getting around to it. This is just a filler for the next chapter. 
> 
> Angst if you squint.

Rey sighed as she looked out the window at the fluffy balls of cotton around the plane. She had always wanted to be a pilot but wasn't able to financially. This was why she chose to be a flight attendant; she could fly while she was saving money enough to afford her flight lessons. Freedom was the name of the game up here. But so was danger. She wouldn't know the meaning of that word until today.

She sat down in the empty seat and pulled out her phone, snapping a picture down the wing. She posted it on her Instagram along with a selfie, and leaned back in the seat, looking up at the ceiling. She was looking forward to her week-long leave after this flight, which was the longest one she was on so far. Afterward, she'd be flying back with Poe Dameron.

Speaking of which, she'd be on her break for a couple of hours. She wasn't sure if he was still asleep or not. She sighed again and stood, walking up to where he sat. He looked beautiful asleep, his face relaxed and peaceful. Rey didn't know how he did it. She'd seen him fall asleep during takeoff, his chocolate eyes closing before the plane even lifted off. But then again, he was a pilot and was accustomed to sleeping just about anywhere.

She was so caught up in her thoughts that she didn't notice him waking up, inhaling through his nose as he stretched, groaning as his back popped. A satisfied sigh left his lips before his eyes fluttered open. He startled just as bad as Rey did when he saw her there, watching him.

"Couldn't keep your eyes off of me, could you?" He smirked tiredly. She felt her cheeks erupt into flame as she looked at a spot on the carpet.

"Well, not that," she lied. "I'm on break for a couple of hours and I, uh...have nobody to talk to."

Poe smiled as he took it upon himself to be her entertainment for a while. "Well, have a seat. I don't bite."

Rey smiled shyly before sitting next to him. Poe noticed how tense she was and noticed she was anxious. He needed an icebreaker. "Not really much turbulence as I expected."

"Yeah," Rey said awkwardly. "Me neither."

Another awkward pause. Rey fiddled with her hands. "How long have you been working for the company?"

"About 6 months or so. I'm hoping to save enough to get my pilot's license. I really like it up here." Poe's tired gaze instantly softened. 

"Yeah. It's free, beautiful. You have a powerful machine in your hands, and it's just you and the open sky. No obstacles, no-"

"No one to stop you or hold you back." Rey looked at him in time to see a goofy grin cover his face.

"Exactly. Hey, I didn't know you liked to fly." _Of course, you didn't, dummy,_ he thought.

"Well, now you do." She finally let a smile grace her features. Poe drank them in; her adorable freckles, her almond-shaped hazel eyes and how they sparkled.

"That's nice, Sunshine." He let the nickname slip before he could catch himself. He blushed just as much as she did as they gazed at each other their gazes never leaving.

"How long have you been flying?" Rey asked curiously. She settled in for a good conversation. He turned to face her, brushing the curls from his forehead.

"Since I was about six. My mother took me up in her old cropduster and the moment she let me take the stick, it hooked me. Here I was, six years old, and flying a plane. How many kids that age get to do the same?" He kept talking and the entire time, Rey listened intently. She never looked bored, even when he talked about his farm life, and before she knew it, she was falling even harder for him. Was a relationship allowed between a pilot and a flight attendant?

"So, Sunshine, what was your childhood like?" The very question she hoped he wouldn't ask. She drew in a breath.

"Well, my parents died when I was young. I was orphaned before I could remember anything. I spent the next 12 years or so collecting cans on the street to take to the manager for allowance money. Plutt. Stars, was he an a-hole." She turned her head away as if in shame. "I was never adopted. And I never did find out who my parents were."

Poe looked at her sadly. Their childhoods were the exact opposite of the other. His was happy, full of memories. Rey's was dark, full of things she wished to forget. He laid a hand on her knee, completely unaware he was doing so until she looked up at him. Instead of flinching away or overreacting, she placed her hand over his, smiling back at him.

"Don't worry, Sunshine. I ran away from home at sixteen after my dad told me I needed to manage my responsibilities better. I wanted to fly the coop, to do what I wanted to do with nobody to stop me. So, I, uh...joined drug runners. Kijimi, Colorado. A long way from Yavin, Georgia and the safety of the peach farm. I've...seen...men killed. Right in front of me. It's...the imagery..." Rey did something he didn't expect and laid her head on his shoulder. 

"It's stuck with you? I understand perfectly." She petted the back of his hand and nuzzled into his shoulder a little. Chills went down his spine before he returned the gesture by leaning his head on Rey's. He wanted nothing more than to kiss the top of her head, tell her it'd be okay. She was a strong young woman. Poe had a weak spot for strong women.

They stayed like that the remainder of her break. The time came along where she had to get up and get back to it. 

"Hey, Rey?" She turned around and looked at him. The past two hours had been a bonding session she didn't know she needed with the handsome pilot.

"Yes?" He gave her a warm, genuine smile.

"If you need to talk, I'm here. You know where to find me." She smiled back and tucked her bangs behind an ear before she turned and walked to the cockpit to ask Finn if he wanted anything.

She was still there five minutes later. She was still there when disaster struck.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's going down in the next chapter! I'll try to post ASAP between school stuff!


	3. Disaster

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Finn is unconscious and injured. Rose is tending to his injuries. Jess is monitoring the plane and trying to contact the nearest airport that can handle this plane." Poe nodded slowly and shook his head as though it would rattle the pain out. He turned and looked at the remaining passengers. All of them were looking at him with hope and trust.
> 
> Hope that he was good enough to land this plane. Trust a stranger with their lives.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is where it happens. It's kinda heavy. Read at your own risk.
> 
> NOTE: If you are sensitive to this type of thing, please skip this chapter. I don't want to scare anybody. Please remember that flying is the safest mode of transportation and your odds of being in a crash are 1 in 11 million. Don't let me ruin your travel plans lol. 
> 
> Due to the nature of this chapter, I'm placing a mature/explicit rating on this. Mentions of death and blood. This is written as it would happen. As for the sounds, imagine the plane crash from Cast Away.

Poe knew something was wrong when there was a loud bang and the cabin was filled with fog. He looked around for Rey, seeing she didn't leave the cockpit yet. Concern filled his thoughts. It was hard to hear them over the howling wind and screams. He was about to get up when the oxygen masks dropped. He reached out to put it on.

Above 10,000 feet, the human respiratory system was fair game, as was the brain. Hypoxia was your enemy up here, as was time.

He looked around and could now see clearly. There was a gaping hole in the structure just on the other side of the aisle from him. Thank God he didn't unfasten his seatbelt. He had been asleep after all.

He saw someone reach up for their mask only to get sucked out of the plane. The people around his empty seat held on to each other tightly, not wanting to end up like him. He saw a mother holding her son, clutching him to her like he would be next. Poe felt uneasy. Anybody could be next.

In all the years Poe had been flying, this was the first time he was terrified. All those close calls when he was dogfighting back when he was a fighter pilot didn't even compare to this.

He saw that everyone had their masks on and were helping others out. The bag felt as if it were suffocating him. There were tears coming down some people's faces, screams coming from others. It was hard to hear anything at all.

He saw a man across the aisle that was struggling to get his mask on. Poe saw that the oxygen line was tangled around itself. He drew in a breath and undid his seatbelt. He felt the suction almost pull him from his seat. He grabbed anything he could to ground himself and worked his way over to the man. He was about to cross the aisle when a nearby overhead cargo hold flew open. He didn't see it coming, but he felt the impact a tablet made with his forehead.

He felt hot blood coming down his head and he stumbled before falling to the cabin floor. He groaned and his vision fell dark for a few moments. He could feel his chest filling with oxygen and cabin air, his heart beating frantically. At least he hadn't been sucked from the plane. He felt the large metal bird underneath him, almost wobbling. The deafening sound of the air with the four large turbine engines was all he had to go off of.

He drew in a breath and slowly opened his eyes. There was less screaming now. Through his blurry vision, he took in the scene. With a heavy heart, he realized the mother and son were no longer in their seats. A couple of people that didn't get their masks on in time weren't moving. Poe knew they were unconscious or dead. He looked for the man he was going to help originally. He wasn't in his seat either. 

The hole had gotten larger. _Fuck,_ he thought.

He didn't look at the current situation as a problem for himself, but a problem for others.

Especially when he felt the plane not descending. He knew that oxygen for the aircrew didn't last as long. It was there just long enough for the pilot to drop the plane below 10,000 feet. Enough to get oxygen in the cabin so they could follow the emergency procedure.

He shot up and looked around, blood running down his forehead. Through his clearing vision, he saw that Rey was stumbling through the door from the cockpit. He saw her mouth move but didn't hear what she was saying.

She looked around before her frantic eyes landed on his own. She was trying her hardest to stay calm as she worked her way towards him. She ripped off a part of her uniform and wiped the blood from Poe's head. She had a portable oxygen tank with her, having grabbed it from the flight attendant's supply. He felt his throat vibrate and guessed he groaned from the pain. 

"Rey?" He rasped. She looked at him sadly. She felt that he wasn't in the proper condition to fly a plane with that forehead injury. With a heavy heart, she stood up and looked at the remaining passengers. This was the thing that no flight attendant ever wanted to ask.

"Is there anyone here that knows how to fly a plane?" She shouted over the roaring wind and was scared when she saw no sign of anyone that knew how to fly. She shook her head sadly and worked her way to the stairs to go down and ask.

Poe felt his heart break. Had Finn died as well? He had picked on him about his flying skills before they took off. Even though it was a joke and Finn was a good pilot, he couldn't help but feel heartbroken. Why did Rey not let him up to fly? Was it his injury?

Rey returned a few moments later, a distraught look on her face. She made her way to Poe and knelt beside him. "Nobody," she shouted.

"No other pilots?" He responded back. Rey shook her head.

"No. You're the only one on board." 

Poe was rattled with shock. Here he was with a head injury and he was the only one who could fly the plane. 

"What about Finn? Rose?" He yelled as he struggled to his feet.

"Finn is unconscious and injured. Rose is tending to his injuries. Jess is monitoring the plane and trying to contact the nearest airport that can handle this plane." Poe nodded slowly and shook his head as though it would rattle the pain out. He turned and looked at the remaining passengers. All of them were looking at him with hope and trust.

Hope that he was good enough to land this plane. Trust a stranger with their lives.

He looked over them, the responsibility he had now resting on his shoulders. He was in charge of them now. He had to get them to safety. He dipped his head in acknowledgment as some cheers started breaking out. They were supporting him.

He turned for the cockpit and made his way to the door. He drew in a breath to calm himself before making his way inside with Rey behind him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have plenty of time between assignments to update. This quarantine is killing me. I need to make a schedule so I don't leave you all in a dry spell. 
> 
> Stay safe out there, y'all.


	4. Descent

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When the runway was in sight, engine #1 flamed out. He now had an unbalance of power, the only two engines running now on one wing. 
> 
> “Jess, we lost number 1. We’ll have to come in strange. Rey, go tell the passengers the crash landing procedures.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tried to write this as accurate to a real-life scenario as possible. The way Poe and Wedge communicate, as well as the procedures taken, are examples of how they would go down in a real-life situation. Again, please don't let this fic ruin your life. Flying is the safest mode of transportation.
> 
> This chapter is heavy with aviation terms. If you are confused, please don't feel bad if you want to ask! Also, if you're a pilot and I messed something up, please tell me so I can fix it. I'm not a pilot (yet ;)) but I've been around them enough to learn what some of these terms mean. I put together a little key for you:
> 
> Flight level- the airplane's pressure altitude measured in 100' levels  
>  So, flight level 350 would be 35,000', 100 would be 10,000', etc.  
> "Roger"-your message has been received and understood  
> "Copy"- I understand  
> "Roger Wilco"- your message has been received and I will comply
> 
> A vector is an assigned approach to a runway.  
> ATC is air traffic control.  
> \--------------------------------  
> Also, is Modern AU Wedge a retired fighter pilot/flight instructor that became an air traffic controller? Yes.  
> Can anybody change my mind? Nope.

When Poe entered the cockpit, he saw Finn on the floor, Rose tying a scrap of her uniform around his head. Jess looked over in relief.

"What happened?" Poe asked frantically. Jess spoke through the heavy oxygen mask she and Rose were both wearing.

"Probably a defected sheet metal repair. We lost pressurization pretty fast. Something in the cockpit hit Finn in the head as it got sucked towards the back." Jess tried contacting the nearest airfield again. "Glad you're here, Captain."

Poe felt bad. Earlier, he'd joked with Finn about his flying. Now he was in charge of the distressed 747 instead of Finn. He took a deep breath and thought of all the lives that were in his hands as he grabbed the controls. "Rey, you go and keep the passengers calm."

She looked at Poe as she gave her portable oxygen tank to Rose. "Good luck, Captain." Then she was gone.

Poe turned and looked at the instruments. All engines were good, as were the systems. He felt more blood start to trickle down his forehead as he placed the quick-don oxygen mask on his head. When it pulled tight against his face, he turned to Jess.

“I got it from here. You keep an eye on the systems. We need to get this bird on the ground.” Jess sent him a nod.

“Okay, Captain.” 

Poe contacted the nearest airport, Los Angeles International, and waited for ATC to respond. He was relieved when they did.

“YA275, what can I help you with?” The voice, who he recognized as Wedge Antilles, came through the static.

“This is YA275. Mayday, mayday, mayday, we have an emergency on board. Lost cabin pressurization. Pilot is unresponsive. We need clearance to come down. We’re at flight level 350, oxygen masks are deployed, over.” 

On the other end, Wedge recognized the voice as Poe Dameron, one of his flight students. He immediately knew the plane was in good hands. “YA275, this is final approach. Descend and maintain flight level 100. Maintain current vector. At flight level 100, wind out of west-northwest at 27 knots. Area of precipitation 43 miles north of current position.”

“Roger wilco.” Poe repeated everything Wedge told him to confirm that he understood and put the plane into the max safe descent it could handle. He had to get below 10,000 feet and fast.

“We’ve reached contact with KLAX, Jess. We’re landing there and transferring everyone to a different plane.” He eyed the altimeter, making sure he was safely descending. If he went too fast, the already-brittle bird would fall apart.

* * *

At 20,000 feet, an engine flamed out. “Shit,” Jess exclaimed. “Engine number 3 has flamed out.”

“Yeah, no kidding.” Poe could feel the change of power in his hands. The aircraft became heavier due to the loss of speed. He increased the power in the remaining engine on the wing to balance out the loss. “How are the other systems?”

“Hydraulics are good, pneumatic is good, electrical is functional.” Jess kept her eyes on the monitors and instruments in front of her. 

“Good.” He kept the plane steady, descending carefully. “Come on, baby.”

He contacted final approach again. “KLAX, YA275. We’ve had a flameout on engine number 3. Repeat, we have lost an engine. All other systems stable enough to continue our flight.”

“Copy. Maintain descent, Captain Dameron. You’re doing great.”

* * *

At 10,000 feet, everyone removed their masks so they could freely communicate. Poe asked Jess for the status of the systems again before he turned on the comms to the cabin. 

“Attention, passengers. This is your captain speaking. We are now at 10,000 feet. You are cleared to remove your masks. Do not get up and move about the cabin. I’ve turned the fasten your seatbelt sign on because we are about to make our descent for our emergency landing. Again, DO NOT move about the cabin. Please remain calm. Thank you for your patience.” He heard some clapping from the passengers. He contacted Wedge again.

“Final approach, this is YA275. We are at flight level 100. Maintaining altitude and awaiting further instructions.”

Rey entered the cabin again. “How are we doing? The passengers have calmed down a little bit.” 

“That’s good,” Poe said. He didn’t look back at her, staying concentrated on the plane and its surroundings. “We’re coming up to KLAX. We’ll land here and get Finn and the injured passengers to a hospital. The rest of the passengers will be checked out before they’re transferred to a different plane.”

Rey walked up to the pilot’s seat and brushed a slender hand down his shoulder before it came to rest on his bicep. “You can do it, Poe.”

Any anxiety Poe may have had melted away at her tender touch. He calmed down as Wedge contacted him again. “YA275, this is final approach. You’re cleared to land, runway 25 right. Winds from the west-northwest at 20 knots. We have the trucks waiting for your arrival.”

Poe nodded. “Copy that, ground.” He repeated Wedge’s instructions again to confirm he understood before he gently pushed the controls down.

When the runway was in sight, engine #1 flamed out. He now had an unbalance of power, the only two engines running now on one wing. “Jess, we lost number 1. We’ll have to come in strange. Rey, go tell the passengers the crash landing procedures.” 

“Yes, Captain.” She hurried out of the cockpit to follow his instructions. He heard a groan behind him as Finn started waking up.

“Am...am I dead?” He asked.

“No, you’re not. Everyone is okay.” Rose replied. Finn saw Jess at the engineer’s station and, now scared, tried sitting up. He winced at the sudden wave of pain in his head and opted to lay back down.

“Who’s flying the plane, Rose? Was there a passenger aboard?” Rose nodded.

“Not just any passenger, remember?” 

Finn thought for a second. “Poe?”

“Yeah, buddy?” He glanced back at Finn and offered him a smile. Finn returned it, the bloodied cloth around his head a contrast to his expression.

“KLAX?” He asked.

“Yep. We lost the two starboard engines. We’ll have to come in strange. Wedge said there are trucks waiting there for us.” Poe was lucky to be flying this plane. A 747 was built to fly with two operational engines. 

“Okay. I trust you.” Finn replied.

“Sorry for the joke I made earlier,” Poe said as he adjusted the flap lever and pushed the landing gear button. “I didn’t know this would happen”

“Nobody would,” Finn replied. “At least the plane is in one piece.”

“Speaking of which…” Poe trailed off as they closed in on the runway. “The flaps won’t come down.” 

“Request a flyby. The plane is easier to land with landing gear,” Finn said. “You won’t be able to tell. If the flaps don’t work-”

“The landing gear might not either.” Poe finished Finn’s sentence. He decided to contact Wedge again.

“Final, our flaps won’t work. Requesting a flyby to see if the gear is down.”

“YA275, you are cleared for flyby.” Wedge confirmed.

“Cleared for flyby, YA275.” Poe leveled out and flew down the length of the runway. When he approached the tower, he tilted the right wing up just enough for the ATC to look. Wedge drew in a sharp breath. He knew Poe could handle this situation.

“Negative, YA275, your gear is not deployed.” 

Poe closed his eyes and hung his head for a second or two. “Roger that, ground control. Coming back around.”

As Poe circled back around, he prayed the plane would be good to him. A belly landing in a 747 was rough. He heard local pilots as they were deterred from landing on the side of the airport Poe was being guided to. They were wishing him luck, telling him he could do it. Poe found it in himself that he could.

As he lined it back up, he cut the final two engines down as far as he could with them still pulling the plane forward. He didn’t want to land on the highway underneath the approach, or land too fast for that matter.

“Brace yourselves, guys. We’re coming in a little too fast. I did what I could to slow us down.” Poe’s heart rate picked up. Jess assumed the position silently and Rose leaned over Finn protectively. Poe called to the cabin.

“Attention, passengers. We’re coming in a little fast. I need everyone to assume crash positions. You should have gotten a briefing earlier from your wonderful flight attendant. Brace yourselves!” Poe cringed at his word choice, but that didn’t matter.

The plane was heading for the runway, and fast. It was only a matter of time. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter, we'll find out what happens and if they land in one piece!


	5. Landing

**_"Five hundred."_** Poe nearly jumped at the callouts from the radio-altimeter.

And Poe thought that the fuel jettison from earlier would be stressful. The plane had two engines out and a loss of electric control to the flaps. There were around 300 passengers he needed to make sure survived the landing, even if they were already hurt. Poe tried everything he could and still found himself hurtling towards the runway too fast. And on top of all this, the landing gear was stuck in the "up and locked" position.

The great pilot Poe Dameron was out of ideas. Nothing in his career could've possibly prepared him for this.

He closed his eyes and took in a calming breath. The odds were stacked against him. A landing in this scenario, if done by the wrong person, would spell disaster. Poe was not determined to let that happen.

He wasn't doing this for his record, or for Yavin Airlines.

He was doing this for the passengers.

He opened his eyes and crossed himself. He gave his crew a dip of his head, silently telling them to brace themselves. His heart was racing as the runway grew closer.

To land, he would have to put the weight of the plane on the engines. If he came in at the normal angle, it would take him longer to touch the plane down. If he missed his opportunity, he was pretty sure the plane didn't have the strength to come back for one more attempt. This was it. He kept going towards the ground, listening to the callouts.

_**"Four hundred."** _

_**"Three hundred."** _

_**"Approaching minimums."** _

_**"Two hundred...minimum...continue."** _

In the ATC, everyone who wasn't doing anything busy watched in silence. Wedge almost suffocated in the thick anticipation in the room. The firetrucks and ambulances were watching in suspense also. Pilots waiting for takeoff clearance were watching as well. The entire airport was watching as the scene played out. Poe had an audience and he was well aware of that. The radios never went silent for this long.

 _ **"One hundred."**_ His breathing picked up as the ground got closer. He pulled up slightly on the nose of the plane as a last-minute effort to slow down the plane. He saw the airspeed dropping, but it still wasn't enough. He glided in over the runway. 

_**"Fifty."**_ Poe kept gliding in as flat as he could. This was going to be a hard landing.

 _ **"Forty."**_ He felt sweat trickle down his face. He didn't dare lift a hand to wipe at it. Two hands would give him more control of the aircraft.

 _ **"Thirty."**_ All sense of sound was blocked from entering his mind. He needed to concentrate.

 _ **"Twenty."**_ He thought of his mom and what she'd do in a situation like this. Hell, if he didn't keep his mind straight, he was going to reunite with her in a minute or so. _Focus, Dameron._

 _ **"Ten-RETARD...RETARD...RETARD..."**_ He pulled the nose up a hair more and waited for it. There was no going back.

 _CRASH!_ The plane slammed down onto the runway, sounds of panic erupting from the cabin. There was a horrible scraping sound of asphalt against aluminum as the plane slid down the runway. _Any time now, baby. Now would be a good time to--_

The wingtip flexed enough to hit the ground and it broke, dragging behind the plane. Poe's heart hurt. The 747 was his favorite and here he was crash landing one. The plane slightly spun as it slowed, some of the screaming dying down. The plane slid and slid until it stopped.

Poe had his eyes closed since the impact, waiting for some horrific explosion of the engines or the sound of electricity spazzing out and taking him with it. But the thunder of the plane sliding had stopped and he could feel his heart beating. The silence of the cockpit was replaced with the applause of the 300+ passengers that had looked at him about forty-five minutes ago like he was their only hope.

Jess, Rose, and Finn looked up at him with a relieved smile. Rose even started to cry.

"You've always had to show off, man," Finn teased. Poe just released the breath he had been holding the entire time and reached up with shaky hands to remove his headset after a message from Wedge: " _Nice landing, kid. I told you those belly landing training videos would come in handy. Welcome to KLAX."_

Rey undid her seatbelt and stood. "Nice landing, Captain."

Poe looked at her, his voice shaky. "I know." The reply wasn't cocky or egotistical or arrogant. It was thankful.

Rey smiled and something flickered across her face like she really wanted to do something. But she left the cabin before Poe could ask her what it was. He regained his breath before he stood, telling Jess to help get Finn up as he made his way out to help inflate the emergency slides.

He walked out of the cabin and was met with an eruption of applause and cheers. A woman even hugged him. As far as he could tell, there were no external injuries. Some people probably had some internal injuries, others having gotten mental distress that would keep them from stepping near a plane ever again. But he didn't care if they never flew again. 

Thanks to him, all of these people were still alive. 


End file.
